[pbs-devel] [PATCH proxmox-backup] client: catalog: improve error message for missing catalog

[Christian Ebner]

On 7/16/24 10:49, Fabian Grünbichler wrote:
> 
>> Christian Ebner <c.ebner at proxmox.com> hat am 15.07.2024 15:46 CEST geschrieben:
>>
>>   
>> Commit c0302805c "client: backup: conditionally write catalog for
>> file level backups" drops encoding of the dedicated catalog when
>> archives are encoded as split metadata/data archives with the
>> `change-detection-mode` set to `data` or `metadata`.
>>
>> Since the catalog is not present anymore, accessing these snapshots
>> via the `proxmox-backup-client catalog` command is obsolete for these
>> cases, one should opt for the `proxmox-backup-client mount` command
>> to inspect these archives instead.
>>
>> Improve the error message one gets when trying to access such
>> snapshots by checking if the catalog is present in the manifest and if
>> not, check if it contains a split pxar archive.
>>
>> A caller now gets the following error message:
>>
>> ```
>> no catalog for split pxar archives, use `mount` instead to inspect content
>> ```
>>
>> instead of the rather generic
>>
>> ```
>> Unable to open dynamic index "/<snapshot-path>/catalog.pcat1.didx"
>> - No such file or directory (os error 2)
>> ```
> 
> alternatively, couldn't we adapt the CLI call like we did the API endpoint, and print a file listing using the metadata archive? mounting and then calling find seems a bit roundabout, if we can easily offer the information directly?
> 

Yes, for the catalog dump this would indeed be similar to the API 
endpoint. I however did not want to go that route, because then one 
should offer the catalog shell as well I guess?